eVoucher provided by Bunnings
When you’re renovating it’s a
foregone conclusion that your main shopping destination becomes your local
hardware store.
From popping in to buy
much-needed drill bits or emergency paint supplies you start to become very intimate
with the layout of the store; it almost becomes your second home…an extension
of your life…
We spend far too much of our
time at our local which is Bunnings, conveniently located six minutes away from the Sow’s
Ear. Having it so near is enough to take the edge off the pain of forgetting building
supplies. The ‘measure twice, cut once’ rule is adhered to quite randomly in
Casa Scrofa Orecchio…(look it up)
I don’t think we’ve undertaken
any project where we’ve never had to go back to a store to re-supply. We salute
the people who don’t ever get caught short.
With Christmas just on our door
step and the scent of DIY in the air, we’re thrilled to be giving away a $150 eVoucher
to one of our readers, thanks to the nice people at Bunnings.
All you have to do to win is
tell us your best Bunnings experience in the comments section. Entries close on
Tuesday 11 December
2012. If you comment anonymously,
don’t forget to include an email address so I can reach you. As per usual,
Jason will select the winner and we'll announce the winner the next day.
To help you along I’ll describe
Jason’s best Bunnings experience. He told me it was when he bought his cordless
compact impact driver (it even rated a mention in a previous post).
He had been given Bunnings gift
vouchers and Mr Rooney, our now Canberra-based
builder, advised Jason about the features he should look for in a drill.
Equipped with the vouchers and the knowledge he said the service in the tool
department was great and the drill is one of the best things he’s ever bought.
And my, hasn’t it been used!
Anyway, make sure to enter the
giveaway and good luck!
Parking at the back (tradie's) entrance to Bunnings is always risky if you're not driving a ute with P plates...
ReplyDeleteCue a family station wagon, complete with child seat and child in the back, driving in to squeeze between the assorted tray backs and stanchion clad utility work trucks.
Mummy hops delicately out, clacky mules clacking on the concrete, across to the trade counter, to purchase a length of pine for hubby.
Receipt goes in the handbag, pine goes in the boot, clacky mules clack back into the driver's seat, and off she goes... to the gate, where you show the receipt as proof of purchase...
Only there's NO RECEIPT!! It's disappeared!! Where the hell is it?? Things come flying out of said handbag, in search of that receipt, while trucks and utes pile up behind the stationery station wagon, all but honking their disapproval at the hold up.
Finally, the kindly gate keeper suggests driving on out, letting the queue disperse, and driving back in to get a new receipt printed...
This done, the tradies all fly out, back off to their work sites and their smoko, whilst mummy dutifully drives back in, gets a new receipt printed from the surly blonde at the trade counter, and tries again with the gate keeper.
Fortunately, the receipt has not left mummy's hand, and it's ready and waiting to hand over. The boom gate rises, and off she drives, full of relief, and swears never again to park in the tradie's spots, unless she's wearing her Blunnies...
This story is true, only the names have changed to protect the not so innocent.
Marjee's story is funny! I went in looking to buy a couple of 'banana lounges' which I had seen advertised for $20 and thought this was a great solution to the Mexican standoff between the Silver Fox and I. I wanted to buy nice lounges for around the pool but the Silver Fox didn't so i thought a compromise might be just the thing before Summer arrived. I had a little trouble locating said lounges. I knew they were there but finding an assistant who could interpret 'banana' took a little while as no one had heard of them. Generation gap I think? So, after a fashion, two blue fold-out lounges were located!!
ReplyDeleteOh, so many Bunnings moments out of nearly 5 years of renovating :-/ (nearly finished!!).
ReplyDeleteWe go so often, we have made a game of guessing the total price before we get to the checkout!
A stand out would be when I was sent off in search of supplies by builder friend and husband who were busy building the stairs for our deck and urgently needed more 'bits' late one Saturday afternoon. I was armed with a pencil drawing and a description from the builder. After not being able to find them in amongst the nuts and bolts area (have you SEEN that aisle!?!) I found an obliging team member and we launched into the search even further...., then another one joined in.... Then another!!
I guess I was the damsel in distress, and I wasn't popular with the other customers waiting for help, but after lots of looking and questions from the staff, they found what I needed and off I headed home with a box full of steel bits! And then I got stairs - hooray!!
Bunnings is responsible for my dramatic change from the groaning wife who regularly accompanied dear husband to his favourite place, to the one who now loves roaming the aisles myself. I once dreaded the Bunnings walk and Saturday sausage, but now that my dearest is in hardware heaven, I have become a Bunnings devotee. I now buy the nails, paint and garden gear, and make a mash up at home that would probably make my departed tradey hubby despair! Thanks Bunnings !
ReplyDeletes.m.larkin@bigpond.com
It was a Tuesday afternoon, I raced home from work, got in the car and high tailed it down to Bunnings. I was still in my work clothes and heels. It had been raining on and off all afternoon. I picked up the plants I was after, popped them in the basket and then made my way inside to get a packet of screws or something similarly pedestrian. I was perhaps walking with a little bit too much speed and I also probably didn't give my heels a really good wipe on the mats as I walked inside onto the polished concrete.
ReplyDeleteYou can see where this is going can't you?
I got about 10 meters inside from the garden section and my wet heels lost traction with the polished concrete and then I was on the floor. I of course did this right in front of a terribly good looking Bunnings employee. He rushed to offer assistance, I said I was fine, no physical injuries other than a teeny scrape on my knee and a rather embarrassed Helen (not that I told him that!). No damage was done to the plants :)
I think the two navy blue adirondack style plastic chairs were the best buy I ever made at Bunnings. We have bought everything from paint to plants, doors and bolts there, but I love my chairs. After we had renovated the house in Canberra and sold it, we brought the chairs with us to Queensland and sat them on the front lawn under the jacarandas where I have thrown balls for the dogs and gazed up among the shady leaves and pretty blue flowers enjoying my new home.
ReplyDeleteMy fav Bunnings moment happens almost every time i accompany j to Bunnings. We always end up in the power tool isle (cause j likes to drool) and I find myself bored, so in an attempt to entertain myself and hurry things along I start going on about how fabulous a particular tool is. I do so with such excitement that all the men in a 10m radios start inching forward to see what I am looking at. J usually gets annoyed pretty quick with this game and me and we end up getting out of there quick smart :-)
ReplyDeleteI have no Bunnings story, but I am sure my husband does. Bunnings is one of those stores that no matter what he goes in for, even if said item is not there that he always manages to bring something home (a bit like Uncle Dans) and that something always very necessary.
ReplyDeleteMy best Bunnings story did not end up with a purchase. I accompanied a delicate elderly male friend to buy his blinds. He needed my help although I was about eight months pregnant with twins. We got to the end of the store and I was unable to walk any further and had a few Braxton's for good measure. My fey friend was getting a little flustered when a kind Bunnings attendant offered to help. He had some kind of mini loading vehicle and perched me on the back to deliver me back at the checkout. I felt like a blimpy queen. At least if we needed them, we could have had towels, boiled water, string and scissors in a snap!
ReplyDeleteMy best Bunnings experience happens pretty much every weekend. I'm always there getting gap filler, silicone, tape, paint, etc. etc. And I never forget to get a couple of snags on the way out!
ReplyDeleteActually, the best time was probably when I bought a shower screen and acrylic shower base, and one of the staff members picked them up (they're heavy!) and took them to the checkout then the car for me!
My best Bunnings experience was going there every weekend, it was our 'hot date' on the weekends before we had kids. We would spend our weekly earnings on materials for our home renovation.
ReplyDeleteEvery time i go the Bunnings with my father its such a fun experience, you get alot of laughs from it as Dad LOVES Bunnings to bits! and its like Christmas to him when he's there, This is who i want to win this for he would be so overjoyed!!
ReplyDeleteWe love going to Bunnings as a family outing and attending the craft sessions and family event days.
ReplyDeleteLast year we went to special Father's Day night and on the jumping castle one of our twins embedded his front teeth into the his twin brother's head.
The poor Bunning's employee on first aid duty that night was shaking at the sight of the blood (not that there was much)
We still ended up at the hospital for super glue ...not Bunnings variety.
It was lovely they called the next day to see how our son was.
A couple of years ago I was helping my daughter's in-laws (Brian and Dianne)paint and we went to Bunnings Minchinbury.
ReplyDeleteWhile Dianne and I were looking at brushes etc, Brian spotted one of their trolleys filled with products. Great, a bargain basket! Something down the bottom caught his eye. He took everything out and put it on the floor so he could inspect his "find".
Suddenly a loud, male voice shouted "Hey! What do you think you're doing mate?"
There stood two very burly and very angry men, glaring at Brian.
He had emptied out their shopping trolley!
Before he was torn apart Dianne rushed over, grabbed him by the arm and said "No, come on Darling". Then she looked over her shoulder at the men, pointed to her head, and said "I'm so sorry - his mind isn't what it used to be" as she led him quickly away. :)
A WHILE BACK i HAD TO GO TO BUNNINGS FOR A STOCKTAKE, AND IT WAS REALLY HOT AS i LIVED IN BRISBANE AT THE TIME. i WAS ON THE FLOOR COUNTING SCREWS AND DOOR KNOBS AND i WAS SWEATING SO BAD AND i WAS FILTHY FROM THE DUST. ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS CAME AND GAVE ME A FAN SO I WASNT SO HOT.THE SERVICE AND FRIENDLINESS OF STAFF AT BUNNINGS ALWAYS IMPRESSES ME AND I LOVE TO SHOP THERE FOR ALL KINDS OF USEFULL STUFF.
ReplyDeleteI was shopping for plants in the Noarlunga (SA) Bunnings, and a cute young assistant who wore "granny" glasses, had glorious curly hair and a delightful smile and manner helped me (a granny) select my plants and carried them out to my car for me. Such helpfulness made my day
ReplyDeleteI met my husband at Bunnings! We were both looking at palm trees at the time. He was wanting them for his pool area and i was wanting them to try and make a little paradise in my crappy rental property. It was a stinking hot day that i am pretty sure he seen me drool a little bit when he said he had a underground pool! We chatted for a bit about Palms and then he invited me around for a swi that arvo! It was the wonderful start to our realtionship. We have been together for 4 years so far and have a beautiful son together. Match Made in heaven at Bunnings x
ReplyDeletesqiggles83@hotmail.com
Unable to find the perfect outdoor setting and knowing how great the service was, off we went on Sunday morning to our local Bunning's. On the way we got pulled over for a random breath test, then half way there, we were stopped again because my husband decided to put his foot down as we were now running late. Anyway he got a $270 fine (and an attitude.)So finally we arrived at Bunnings and as i said we received exceptional service and the patio setting was on sale. A fun filled day (i guess). codeblueallie@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI love Bunnings. It's our "go-to" hardware store. When we built our house 11 years ago, we headed off to Bunnings in search of the perfect paint could for our bedroom. The person being served in front of us had a picked a beautiful dark denim blue paint...hubby and I were convinced it was the one. Unfortunately we didn't catch the name in time, and thought we'd never figure it out. The Bunnings employee ran after them, wrote down the details, came back and made up the tint for us. Our bedroom is still the same colour...it's beautiful...thanks to that resourceful employee.
ReplyDeleteGoing to Bunnings for some cheap plants. Forget those overpriced ones from the local boutique florist!
ReplyDeleteOur best experience was buying our worm farm. Honestly, great service and they knew all the answers to our questions. Because of that service, we've had our worm farm for over three years and it's going strong. We just love it! Thank Bunnings!
ReplyDeleteLike most Bunnings is our second home to the point that among our two kids first words were mummy, daddy and Bunnings. We actually have to spell it here in the house if we want to duck there sans kids......my favorite Bunnings moment is the birth of my first child (no not in Bunnings) but my older brother giving my son his very first Bunnngs voucher as a welcome to the world gift. (have photographic evidence if required of 2 day old son holding voucher!)Taking my son to spend his voucher at 12 months old was one trip that will always be remembered!!
ReplyDeletekathrynandscott@yahoo.com.au
Favourite bunnings memory is buying a build-your-own-fence. I went back 4 times to get advice on how to put it together. planetpritchard@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteMy best Bunnings moment was describing a 'do-ma-hickey' and 'what-cha-ma-call-it' it to the guy and him finding them exactly as I needed. Apparently they have 'real names' (I just remember 'wingnuts' as one) but I knew what I wanted and he knew what I needed and I was happy as I left and he's probably still laughing about that odd lady over his coffee.
ReplyDeleteMy best experienceat Bunnings was buying cafe blinds. Husband had measured wrong we had lost our receipt. They happily exchanged gave us more help with installation. Going beyond customer service with ringing other stores , all with a smile :) I practcally live at bunnings as its on my way home from work. I have never had a bad experience and I get greeted in the door and when I leave. If they had beds I would sleep there :)
ReplyDeleteBunnings is a weekly visit in our house so hard to pick a favourite time. I was building a fairy garden when we moved into this new house and found a little scrap of pretend grass on the floor and asked the lady how much and she gave it to me. Was impressed. Of course that wasn't the only thing we got. How come you go in there for one thing and always walk out with more???
ReplyDeleteMy Best Bunnings experience was taking my 4 year old there for the first time, he was so excited to go see the BUNNIES..ooops...
ReplyDeleteWe made it up to him though, He got to have a Snag sanga and we bought him his very own Sturdy Wheel-Barrow, so now he can help out his Poppy in the Garden.
Kind Regards
Kelly Evans
kel.1980@hotmail.com
Bunnings stands for:B-buying way too many tools
ReplyDeleteU-under estimating the length of the wood that you have to get in your car.
N-never being able to decide upon a paint colour.
N- not wanting to leave without buying a snag sandwich.
I-incredible prices and products.
N-nice staff who treat you like a real person.
G-getting 10 items when you only came to the store to get one thing.
S-satisfied,smiley and ready for the next project..
Thanks for the chance..xx themavins@optusnet.com.au
My best Bunnings experience was getting my husband out of there in 15 mins,instead of his customary 2 hour browse and shop.
ReplyDeleteI love that bunnings employs so many young people... No I'm not being sarcastic I really like it. So many of my sons friends have had part time jobs at bunnings and its fun to bump into them in the aisles. Many of them have gone on to do trades and bunnings have been very supportive but I think this prize needs to go to Rebecca... Meeting your husband there... Now that's a bunnings story x
ReplyDeleteI have lots of good Bunnings experiences. Like you, wse live about 5 mins away so that's very handy when there is so much renovating to be done, plus the prices seem to be consistently better than the local rival.
ReplyDeleteProbably my fave Bunnings purchase was the prefab doors I bought to finish off my wonderful studio storage -I just love it.
My most embarassing moment was returning with our recently purchased heat gun, complaining that it wasn't working any more and being very patiently told that it was the safety setting anf that when it cooled down it would work again! Whoops. No, I didn't read the brochure. They were very nice about it :)
I went shopping in Bunnings to find some sample pots of paint with my Mum. We wanted to paint some photo frames and such to decorate the walls in my parent's house. We ended up both sitting on the floor, digging through a giant box of samples and sitting the Maybes around us! We did eventually find some colours that worked well, and they were a bargain too! :)
ReplyDeleteI went to Bunnings to buy 1 paintbrush , came out with a wash trolley , a lamp , a new hose , sprinkler , sample pots of paint & 1 paintbrush . Moral of story , you never get out of Bunnings with just one thing lol
ReplyDeletetand433@gmail.com
A young boy -- who may or may not have been my young brother -- went to Bunnings with my Dad and me. It was a usual, enjoyable but otherwise uneventful trip to Bunnings: until we got back in the car.
ReplyDeleteMy young brother (around 6) then proudly displayed, with a huge smile on his face, a fist-full of shiny new washers.
I asked: where did you get those?! :O He "found" them in Bunnings, he said. We drove straight back to Bunnings and explained that my brother hadn't yet learned the difference between "finding" and "stealing". He thought the washers were money.
The Bunnings staff had a little chuckle and my brother learned a lesson that day.
visiting any Bunnings Store,gives me everytime, anytime, a best-Bunnings experience,
ReplyDeleteI have never left a store disapointed
Last ANZAC day I picked up hubby and one of his good mates from the local RSL, where they'd indulged in a few beers and played two-up. On our way home we had to stop into Bunnings to pick up a few items, and of course you can imagine me walking around with a toddler and 2 half-tanked blokes trying to help them navigate the store. Hubby's mate kept asking every staff member which aisle the two-up was in, and hubby kept getting separated from us and I'd have to go back to find him. Eventually a lovely, patient man from Bunnings helped us to find the items they needed and saw us on our way again!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Bunnings moment is actually each time we go (which is at least 7 times a week at the moment) the staff always say hi to our little girl and hat the her, she has finally started smiling and waving to them (which is really unusual for her she is painfully shy). Or the time I was looking at horrible chemical products to remove the carpet glue on our floorboards and the staff member told me to go home and use a mix of vinegar and water instead, free and much safer. Can't beat service that puts you instead of profit first!
ReplyDelete*Chat to her
ReplyDeleteI really need to proofread before hitting publish!
When I was little, my Dad and I use to take a trip to Bunnings every Saturday. Where we would pick out nails, screws, paint and wood. I would have to look down the long piece plank of wood and check that it was straight. We would then get a packet of chips and a juice for the ride home. It was the best quality time I could have ever spent with my Dad.
ReplyDeleteIt took my dad 19 years to renovate our house. He sold it when he decided it was finished and then bought his new (very run down) house. To which he let someone else build!
To this day my Dad says I have the best eye for looking for straight wood. My daughter now does the Saturday trip to Bunnings with my Dad.. it has become a family tradition.
Putting the children in the play area, and taking my sweet time looking at all the things I wish I could buy. Then finding my one little item I came for, reluctantly collecting kids before going to check out.
ReplyDeleteAll visits to Bunnings are satisfying but my BEST experience was the time our Scout group ran the Saturday sausage sizzle.
ReplyDeleteThe Bunnings PR lady sorted the paperwork, the supplied outdoor kitchen worked a treat, the customers were keen and thankful and we took home almost $1000 for our group!
WINNING BUNNINGS DAY!!!
My favourite Bunnings moment is when I fell over at Bunnings! That's right, I fell over. I fell hands over and this lovely Bunnings employee helped me up, helped bring all of my parcels to the car and smiled the whole way. His thought and care made me a lifelong Bunnings customer!
ReplyDeleteArriving in the morning,
ReplyDeleteto get plants for gardening,
I'm greeted at the door
by a smile - could I ask for more?
Asking a staff member for advice,
she was both informative and nice!
As I was leaving Bunnings then,
I knew I'd be back again!
macej001@students.unisa.edu.au
Walking into my local Bunnings I pulled up an assistant to ask if they stocked P's - (plates for my car) when I was directed to the gardening department for the plant variety!
ReplyDeleteMy best Bunnings experience was with the kids. We had decided to check out the advertised kid's crafts that are on each weekend. We arrived, walked the store without finding any obviously place for the crafts to be done, so upon asking a staff member where were told it wasn't on that day. The kids looked a bit disappointed but oh well, as we headed for the door a staff member approached us and said she was arranging for a staff member to set up crafts for just our 2 kids. We now have two beautiful painted canvases hanging proudly on our wall.
ReplyDeletemogy1808@gmail.com
We were at Bunnings one weekend when my little one decided that he needed to go to the loo. He's just started toilet training, so the whole process is quite new (and exciting!) for him.
ReplyDeleteHe spotted one of display toilets in the bathroom aisle and then promptly began removing his pants!
Thankfully, I cottoned on to the situation and took him to the real bathroom before anyone was forced to hear, "Clean up in Aisle 3!"
(ixara_1981@live.com)
In February our house was broken into and a few things stolen, including a few hundred dollars worth of power tools I'd borrowed from Dad to do some renovations. As the insurance company's supplier of choice, not only did Bunnings replace the items quickly, but they also allowed Dad to pick them up, as I was in hospital having just given birth to my son!
ReplyDelete